1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to railway crossing construction, and more particularly to prefabricated railway panel assemblies for installation at railway crossings.
2. Description of the Related Art
Railway tracks typically include a pair of steel rails supported on a plurality of traversely extending ties which in turn are supported on ballast material. At intersections with roadways, sidewalks and the like, the railway tracks are typically embedded so that the top surface of the rails are substantially the same height as the finish grade of the surrounding surface so that vehicles, pedestrians and the like may cross over the rails with minimal difficulty.
One typical way of embedding the rails includes installing gauge panels between the rails and field panels at opposite or outer sides of the rails such that a gap is formed between the rails and panels. Gaps must exist in order permit the flanged wheels of a train, car or other rail-guided vehicle to pass along the rails through the intersection without obstruction. These gaps also prevent the surrounding surface from contacting the rails, due to construction tolerances or surface shifting. However, the gaps between a rail and panels cause several problems. By way of example, foreign objects may become wedged in the gaps and present an obstacle for vehicles traveling along the rails, as well as for vehicles crossing the rails. Foreign objects and fluids may also fall through the gaps and accumulate between the rail and the surrounding surface. These fluids or foreign objects can damage the railway crossing system, such as the ballast, ties, attaching hardware, and so on. In order to address these problems, filler strips have been separately inserted into the gaps between the rails and panels, a time-consuming and labor-intensive task.
It has been proposed to bolt a filler strip directly to the panel at spaced locations, as shown for example in U.S. Pat. No. 4,415,120 issued to Thim. However, the filler strip may become wavy between mounting bolts and break the seal between the panel and rail, thus permitting liquid, dirt, and other debris to pass between the rail and panel.
According to the invention, a panel assembly is provided for installation at a railroad crossing. The panel assembly comprises a panel having a side surface adapted to face at least one of the rails. A filler strip has a sealing portion adapted to contact at least one rail and a mounting portion for connecting the filler strip to the panel. A reinforcing member extends along a length of the filler strip mounting portion such that the filler strip mounting portion is sandwiched between the reinforcing member and the panel side surface. A plurality of fasteners extend from the panel side surface through the filler strip and reinforcing member to thereby connect the filler strip to the panel. The reinforcing member provides structural rigidity to the filler strip.
Further according to the invention, a system for embedding a railway track having a pair of rails comprises a pair of field panels adapted for positioning opposite each other at outer sides of the rails and a gauge panel adapted for positioning between the rails. Each field panel has a side surface adapted to face its corresponding rail outer side and the gauge panel has opposite side surfaces adapted to face the inner sides of the rails. A first filler strip is associated with each of the field panels and a pair of second filler strips are associated with the gauge panel. Each of the first and second filler strips include a sealing portion that is adapted to contact one of the inner and outer rail sides and a mounting portion for connecting the filler strip to its respective panel. A reinforcing member extends along a length of each filler strip mounting portion such that each filler strip is sandwiched between its respective reinforcing member and panel side surface. A plurality of fasteners extend from the side surface of each panel, through its respective filler strip and reinforcing member to thereby connect the filler strip to the panel. The reinforcing member provides structural rigidity to the filler strip.